John Andrews Harris Shober

Shober John Andrews Harris A long-time resident of Philadelphia, died peacefully on July 31, 2023, at the age of 90. His loving wife Elizabeth and family were privileged to be by his side at the time. John embodied all that a family patriarch could be-strong, principled, determined, resilient, loving, generous, and quick to smile and break into laughter. John was born in Buffalo, NY on July 4, 1933, to Pemberton H. and Georgiana F. Shober. While in Buffalo he developed a love for the outdoors and conservation, one which he carried throughout his life, including many years dedicated to serving on the boards of the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Assn., as well as being a supporter of both. After captaining the wrestling team and graduating Cum Laude from St. Mark's School in Southborough, MA in 1951, he spent one of his favorite summers working with lifelong friend, Steve Gurney, as a fire monitor near Mt. Shasta with the U.S. Forest Service. He then headed to Yale University for his undergraduate work in the intensive majors program. After graduation, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army Airborne Artillery, and trained and worked with Special Forces, stationed in Germany. The 1960's saw John move to Philadelphia, where he married Margot Ingram, with whom he had 3 children. During this time he worked at Smith, Kline and French Laboratories and also completed a JD degree from Temple University Law School, taking courses at night and finishing at the top of his class. John's ability to win over an audience and deliver the perfect "bon mot" was second only to his dedication to supporting others and his desire to make the world a better place. He was the kind of leader who saw both the forest and the trees, he not only had an unparalleled ability to visualize what an organization needed to do to thrive, he also remembered the names of all the people he met who would be involved in the process. In 1971, John joined Penn Virginia Corporation where he served until 1992, in roles culminating in CEO and Vice Chairman. During the years of his employment at Penn Virginia and following his retirement, he served as a Director of more than thirty institutions, public and private, domestic and international. He was so valued for his business acumen that when the then-current CEO of Ensign Bickford Industries, Inc. became ill, John came out of retirement at his request and stepped in as interim CEO for several years. Fluent in German, John served on the board of several German corporations, including MIBRAG gmbH. While John gave his all to any endeavor in which he was involved, he probably was most proud of his work in Germany and with Eisenhower Fellowships, Pennsylvania Hospital, Airgas, Inc., Ensign Bickford and the Morris Arboretum. When John married the former Elizabeth Brown in 1982, his blended family grew to a group that now numbers over 35 members. He and Elizabeth were inseparable, and loved to travel, take long walks, bike, play guitar, birdwatch, garden, and later split their time between Philadelphia and Avalon, New Jersey. John is predeceased by his parents, Pemberton and Georgiana Shober, his brother Pemberton H. Shober and his sister Agnes Kamstra. He is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth and 8 children and their spouses/partners Andrews and Stephanie Shober of Castle Pines, CO, Cintra Shober and Joseph Hardcastle of Arlington, MA, Tony and Jennifer Shober of Westfield, NJ, Patricia Smith and Emile Pennekamp of Loudun, France, Elizabeth and David Frank of Linwood, NJ, Thomas and Mary Jane Connelly of Boston, VA, Colleen and John Tobia of Branchburg, NJ and Suzanne and Jack Ciechon of Pleasanton, CA, along with 16 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and his devoted cat, Suki. A Celebration of John's life will take place in the coming months, and his family will notify loved ones and friends when it has been scheduled. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118 or the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org).